For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
The word redeem means to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something. To redeem oneself means to compensate for poor past performance or behavior.
Romans 3:23 says we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 5:8 says while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
On our own, we have no chance of getting into heaven. But praise God He has paid the price for our sins. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross has brought redemption. Our sins can be washed away by the blood He shed on the cross.
Jesus has paid the price but never forces us to accept this free gift. It’s a choice we must make. I believe if you are going to make a choice it should be an informed decision, so I would like to share with you some of the faulty thinking I had in years past.
I was raised in the church, I was baptized, and I understood what it meant to be a Christian. But I went through some trying times and began to think that God would accept my bad behavior because of the troubles I had been through. I thought I could get some type of pass for my sinful ways.
I was wrong. Being redeemed does not mean God has paid the price to atone for our sins so we can do whatever we want to do. It means we must accept this redemption; it will never be forced upon us.
When we accept this redemption provided by God through His Son Jesus Christ, we confess our sins to Him, repent, and do our best to not repeat our past bad behavior. We have an awesome appreciation of what He has done for us. We don’t want to continue living a life of sin.
God also gives us the means to stand firm in our faith. He gives us armor to protect us from Satan’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10 lists the armor God provides for our daily protection. We must choose to suit up and be protected. He provides a weapon which is His Holy word.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He used Scripture to defeat the devil and cause him to flee. This is why it’s so important to study our Bible daily.
If we choose to accept the redemption Christ so freely offers, it doesn’t mean it will be smooth sailing from there on out. The devil will continue to come against us. It does, however, mean God will be right there with us to fight our battles. He will protect us and provide all we need.
Being redeemed does not mean we can do whatever we want without regard to God’s commands. It simply means He has atoned for our sins.
Paul said in Ephesians 1:7, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
God will not approve of our deliberate continued sin. We are told in Hebrews 10:26 that if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.
Numerous Scripture passages tell us God will not tolerate our sinful behavior. Redemption is a beautiful gift whereby the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
To be redeemed means we accept his gift. It means that we want to confess our sins and repent. It means we want to live our lives in a way that brings God glory, honor, and praise for the goodness He has given us.
When you truly understand redemption, you know there is nothing better. Accept the redemption offered to us by God through His Son Jesus Christ. Live each day knowing that you have been redeemed. Show God your appreciation by giving Him glory, honor, and praise in all you do.
Have a great day!